Joshua Gunter/The Plain DealerBraylon Edwards was able to make this scoop of an underthrown Brady Quinn pass for an apparent touchdown last Sunday, before an official's ruling canceled the play. Edwards had just one catch for 12 yards against the Vikings.

BEREA, Ohio -- Braylon Edwards already is sick of talking about it.

The Browns' marathon quarterback competition reduced repetitions among the starting 11 on offense, disrupted rhythm and cohesion, and blocked any chance of establishing chemistry between Brady Quinn and Edwards.

Game 1 drove home all those points.

So how does the starting quarterback and his reputed go-to receiver build a working bond as the season picks up speed?

"You guys have asked that question a million times," Edwards said Wednesday. "There's not many more different ways to answer it."

Please try.

"We've got a guy now, so now we can move forward, stay on the same page, learn the little subtle nuances together. Be on the same page as Reggie Wayne-Peyton Manning. I'm sure I've said that before," Edwards said.

This happened after the last Browns quarterback competition, the one won by Charlie Frye.

Once Frye was dispatched after one game, Edwards and Derek Anderson were a quick study on chemistry-building. They combined for 16 touchdown passes and toasted each other's good year with mai tais in Honolulu at the Pro Bowl.

But that was a different offense, of course, one that worked to stretch defenses with Anderson's magnificent arm.

When Quinn was asked Wednesday to describe the offense being implemented by first-year coordinator Brian Daboll, he hesitated before answering.

Mark Duncan/Associated Press file photoThere haven't been that many opportunities for Brady Quinn and Braylon Edwards to work together for the Browns. Both players said Wednesday that they're putting in the work to perform better as a team.

"That's a tough one," Quinn said. "We're an offense that's going to try to push the ball down the field in a methodical way, whether it be through making smart decisions, checks, and things of that nature, running the football, and taking what the defense gives us and not try to force things."

Quinn didn't try to force things in the opening 34-20 loss to the Minnesota Vikings. Prior to a hurry-up drive at the end, the Browns had only 188 yards total offense. Quinn had 117 yards passing up until then -- 12 to Edwards, who had one catch.

In an 80-yard TD drive at the end, which included 10 yards of offensive penalties, Quinn completed six of seven passes for 88 yards. The passes went to Jamal Lewis, Mike Furrey, Josh Cribbs, Mohamed Massaquoi, and, on the TD, to tight end Robert Royal. Nothing to Edwards.

Edwards and Quinn missed connections on four of five passes thrown the receiver's way earlier in the game. One was intercepted when Edwards turned inside and Quinn threw outside.

Other passes were off the mark, too. A deep pass was slightly underthrown, causing Edwards to wait for the ball and be interfered with.

"Chemistry building" was a topic Quinn didn't want to dwell on too much, either, like Edwards.

"That's always something we can work on," he said. "It's seldom that a quarterback and a wide receiver ever say, 'Hey, let's not work on our chemistry,' or, 'We work on our chemistry too much,'" Quinn said. "I think Joe Montana and Jerry Rice are the only two that come to mind, I can think of. Those guys had it down pretty well."

Quinn maintained that a theme of the Daboll offense is to spread the ball around.

"One thing you try to do as an offense is have a bunch of guys to go to," Quinn said. "Yeah, Braylon's the go-to wide receiver. But you don't always want to tip your hand in that way so in a key situation they say, 'Let's put eight guys on Braylon and not worry about the other guys.'

"We've got plenty of talented guys on our team and we're going to try to make them all go-to guys, no matter what the situation is."

Edwards said he can fit in this "methodical" offense.

"Just talking to coach Brian Daboll, he showed me where I fit and what I need to do to make this offense work. I don't have a problem doing that," Edwards said.

Still, Edwards is the lone offensive playmaker the Browns currently field. He remembers the extra work he and Anderson put in during that 2007 season. It starts at practice.

"Just going out there doing extra work before and after practice, just trying to get on the same page, just telling him at all times what I'm thinking and he telling me all times what he's thinking," Edwards said. "Just having an open and honest relationship is probably the best way."

The good news for Quinn and Edwards is that they should receive more time together in practice. Coach Eric Mangini said that now that the open competition is over, practice reps would be divided more traditionally, with Quinn receiving the bulk with the first team.

"That's huge," Quinn said. "It benefits your timing, things of that nature, whatever you're working on, the chemistry with the wide receiver. Just being able to take those reps, see the different looks that you're trying to prepare for, that's huge."

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